Becoming a city after 10 years since its establishment
The town of Ben Cat was established in 2013 under Resolution No. 136 dated December 29, 2013 of the Government, located in the center of Binh Duong province, 20km from the center of Thu Dau Mot city, 50km from Ho Chi Minh City, with the Saigon River and the Thi Tinh River flowing through it; about 45km from Tan Son Nhat Airport, about 35km from Tan Cang Port, about 40km from Song Than Train Station.
Recently, at the National Assembly, under the chairmanship of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly continued to consider opinions on 2 contents and closed the 31st meeting. One of the important contents unanimously agreed upon by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly is the establishment of An Dien Ward and An Tay Ward in Ben Cat town and the establishment of Ben Cat city in Binh Duong province.
Specifically, regarding the plan to establish 2 wards in Ben Cat town and Ben Cat city, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that Binh Duong province proposed to establish 2 wards, An Dien and An Tay, in Ben Cat town based on the natural area and population scale of An Dien and An Tay communes. At the same time, it proposes to establish Ben Cat city in Binh Duong province based on the natural area and population scale of Ben Cat town.
Ben Cat town is one of the 5 important urban areas of Binh Duong province, a dynamic northern location of Ho Chi Minh City; a high-tech, clean industry, research and technology transfer center. The development orientation of Ben Cat town by 2040 is an industrial- service- transportation urban center. Accordingly, Binh Duong province and Ben Cat town have focused resources on investing in socio-economic development and urban infrastructure.
Accordingly, Ben Cat city will be established on the entire natural area of 234.35 km2 and the population scale of 364,578 people of Ben Cat town in Binh Duong province.
After the establishment of An Dien ward, An Tay ward and Ben Cat city, Binh Duong province, Ben Cat city has 8 local administrative units, including 7 wards: An Dien, An Tay, Chanh Phu Hoa, Hoa Loi, My Phuoc, Tan Dinh, Thoi Hoa and Phu An commune.
Binh Duong province has 9 local administrative units at the district level, including 4 districts and 5 cities; 91 local administrative units at the commune level, including 39 communes, 47 wards and 5 towns.
How is the economy of Ben Cat developing?
In terms of economy, the town has 8 industrial parks that have been planned and are providing employment for about 180,000 workers. Among them are large industrial parks such as My Phuoc 3 (nearly 700 ha), My Phuoc 2 (800 ha), and My Phuoc 1 (nearly 500 ha)…. The average income is 140 million VND/person/year.
The economic growth rate is always high, most of the key indicators have achieved and exceeded the targets of the entire term. The town has completed the program of building new countryside and urban development; the economic structure continues to shift in the right direction: Industry develops and grows steadily, services account for an increasing proportion in the economic structure; agriculture shifts towards urban agriculture and high-tech agriculture in association with building new countryside.
Specifically, in the 2015-2020 period, the average annual economic growth rate at constant prices of the town reached 11.86%, at current prices reached 23.5%. By 2023, the economic growth rate of Ben Cat town is estimated to reach 12.1% (the province estimated 6%); the economic structure will shift in the right direction with an industrial proportion of 70.3%, trade and services 29.5%, agriculture 0.2%; the total value of production will reach over 285,018 billion VND, an increase of 21.1% compared to the same period.
In particular, the value of industrial production reached over 200,000 billion VND, an increase of 17.5% compared to the same period, and attracted 671 investment projects, bringing the total number of projects in the area to 6,441. The number of foreign-invested projects (FDI) is 37 projects with a total capital of nearly 80 million USD. The retail trade and service sector also achieved impressive growth with a total retail sales of goods and services reaching nearly 84,000 billion VND, an increase of 30.5% compared to the same period.
In terms of state budget revenue and expenditure, by 2023, the total state budget revenue in the area as of November 23, 2023 reached nearly 4,014 billion VND, achieving 93% of the province’s plan and the Town People’s Council’s Resolution, an increase of 64% over the same period. The total revenue of the local budget reached nearly 1,115 billion VND, reaching 112% of the province’s plan and the Town People’s Council’s Resolution.
In Decision No. 1573/QD-UBND dated July 1, 2022, the Binh Duong People’s Committee approved the overall adjustment of the general planning of Ben Cat town to 2040, identifying Ben Cat as an industrial-service-agricultural urban area, an important transportation hub of the province and the Key Economic Region in the South. Accordingly, the establishment of Ben Cat City in Binh Duong province has a very important significance in terms of politics, socio-economic development, and defense – security of the locality.
